Container for a vial or ampoule

ABSTRACT

A portable container ( 10 ) suitable for housing and protecting vials ( Y ) ampoules and other small vessels containing pharmaceutical or veterinary preparations such as vaccines, which are sensitive to changes in temperature or to relatively high temperature, is provided. The container ( 10 ) comprises a layered wall ( 11 ) defining a centrally located cavity ( 13 ) for receiving the vial ( Y ). The wall ( 11 ) includes an outer thermally insulating layer ( 12 ) surrounding a substance ( 14 ) for providing a passive cold source to the cavity ( 13 ) and two spaced inner layers ( 16  and  18 ) of a relatively hard plastics material providing an annular chamber wherein the substance ( 14 ) is received.

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a portable container which is specificallyadapted for holding and protecting vials and ampoules and theircontents. The articles to be protected will be termed vials in thisspecification, which term shall include within its scope ampoules, andother small vessels and their contents such as vaccines and the like.This invention further relates to a portable container for the passivecooling of vials. The container is particularly suitable for housing andprotecting vials containing pharmaceutical or veterinary preparationssuch as vaccines which are sensitive to changes in temperature or torelatively high temperature.

Vials are generally supplied in boxes, which may contain ten or morevials, to pharmacists, veterinary surgeons or other drug supplyfacilities. A disadvantages of these boxes is that the vials are notthermally insulated by the boxes during transportation and storage.Where the contents of the vials are sensitive to changes in temperature,an additional isolating container has to be provided to protect thevials against extreme temperatures and sudden changes in temperature.Opening of the isolating container to remove one of the vials, willraise the temperature inside the container to the detriment of the othervials.

Certain vaccines, which are dispensed from vials, have to be maintainedat a temperature of between 2° and 8° C. An example of such vaccine is aSAIMR ABSORBED TETANUS vaccine. Transportation, storage and dispensingof these vaccines in remote and underdeveloped areas is relativelydifficult, if not impossible with known vial containers.

When a pharmacist supplies one or more vials to a patient, thepharmacist will remove the required number of vials from a box in whichthe vials are contained and may place the vials into another packet, boxor suitable container. A disadvantage of this is that the vials areunprotected from damage and because the vials are also usually made ofglass, they will easily shatter in the event of the packet or box beingdropped.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide aportable container for vials with which the aforesaid disadvantages maybe overcome or minimised or to provide a useful alternative to the knownvial containers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a portable container as setforth in the claims.

According to the invention there is provided a portable container for avial, the container having a wall defining a centrally located cavityfor receiving the vial, the wall having a first thermally insulatingouter layer; and second and third spaced apart layers of a relativelyhard plastics material surrounded by the first layer, the second andthird layers defining a cavity between them for a substance forproviding a passive cold source to the cavity; and the wall including afourth insulating inner layer which is surrounded by the other layers.vial, the container having a wall defining a centrally located cavityfor receiving the vial, the wall having a first thermally insulatinglayer surrounding a substance for providing a passive cold source to thecavity.

Preferably the substance is provided in semi-solid, gel or liquid form,and is selected from the group comprising sodium acetate, polyethyleneglycol, silicone based compounds, glycol alcohols, water, and polymers.

Further according to the invention the wall includes second and thirdspaced apart layers of a relatively hard plastics material and thesubstance for providing a passive cold source forms an annular layerdisposed between the second and third layers.

The wall may include a fourth insulating inner layer which is surroundedby the other layers.

Further according to the invention the first to fourth layers are in theform of concentrically disposed, cylindrical, blind ended tubes.

Preferably the container has a closed bottom and an open top and thecontainer may include a thermally insulating lid for closing the opentop.

The wall may be provided with a connecting formation and the lid maydefine a complementary formation for cooperating with the connectingformation.

The container may include a downwardly directed annular flange memberprovided on the open top of the container, the flange member connectingto the first layer of the container by a friction fit.

An inner surface of the annular flange member may define an annularextending groove formation and an outer surface of the second layer maydefine a circumferentially extending ridge formation for mating with thegroove formation.

The first layer may comprise polyurethane foam or expanded polystyrenefoam.

In one form of the invention, an inner surface of the fourth layer isprofiled to provide protrusions for abutting the outer surface of thevial and for defining an air filled buffer zone between the vial and thesubstance for providing a passive cold source.

In another form of the invention, the lid is provided with at least onegripping formation for gripping one end of the vial.

In yet another form of the invention, the lid includes an axiallyaligned pierceable disc which is adapted to be pierced by the needle ofa syringe, the container being adapted to contain a vial having asimilar pierceable top.

The container may include an outer protective skin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described further, by way of example only,with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a portable containeraccording to a first embodiment of the invention for a vial;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional exploded side view of the containerof FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along line III—III in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a portable containeraccording to a second embodiment of the invention for a vial;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional side view of an upper portion of aportable container according to a third embodiment of the invention fora vial;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional side view of an upper portion aportable container according to a fourth embodiment of the invention fora vial;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional plan view of a portable container accordingto a fifth embodiment of the invention for a vial; and

FIG. 8 illustrates the efficiency of a container according to the firstembodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a portable container according to a firstembodiment of the invention, for a vial is generally designated byreference numeral 10.

The container 10 has a wall 11 defining a centrally located cavity 13(FIGS. 2 and 3) for receiving a vial Y (FIG. 1). The wall 11 isconstituted from four tubular blind ended concentrically disposed layers12, 16, 18 and 20. The first and fourth layers 12 and 20 are of athermally insulating material; preferably of polyurethane foam orexpanded polystyrene foam.

The container 10 further includes a substance 14 for providing a passivecold source and surrounding the cavity 13. The substance 14 may be insolid, gel or liquid form, and is selected from the group includingsodium acetate, polyethylene glycol, silicone based compounds, glycolalcohols, water, and polymers. Preferably the substance 14 comprises agel of the type which is commonly used in cold packs with cooler boxes,the gel also being known as pharmaceutical gel. The substance 14 isdisposed between the spaced apart second and third layers 16 and 18which are both of a relatively hard plastics material, preferably highdensity polyethylene. In this embodiment of the invention, the innerfourth layer 20 is shaped and sized to receive a single vial Y. Theupper edges of the second and third layers 16 and 18 are connected toeach other.

Referring particularly to FIG. 2, a downwardly extending annular flange22 is connected to the open top of the first layer 12 via a friction fitand an inner surface of the flange 22 defines an annular extendinggroove formation 24. An outer surface of the second layer 16 defines acircumferentially extending ridge formation 26 for mating with thegroove formation 24.

Referring still to FIG. 2, the open top of the wall 11 is provided witha connecting formation in the form of external screw thread 27 definedby the second layer 16. The container 10 further includes a lid 28comprising a profiled disc 30 of expanded polystyrene foam having anannular insert 32 of a plastics material such as high densitypolypropylene. The insert 32 is provided with a complementary formationin the form of internal screw thread 34 for cooperating with the screwhead 27 defined by the second layer 16.

In use, the container 10 is opened and placed in a freezer (not shown)to lower the temperature of the substance 14, so that the substance 14provides a passive cold source. The container 10 is removed from thefreezer and the vial Y placed inside the cavity 13 and the container 10closed by the lid 28.

It will be appreciated that the contents of the vial Y is protectedagainst sudden changes in temperatures by the first layer 12 insulatingthe container 10 and by the substance 14 providing a passive coldsource. The fourth layer 20 serves to protect the vial Y from a suddenexcessive drop in temperature due to the proximity of the vial Y to thesubstance 14. The container 10 containing the vial Y may thus betransported and stored outside for a substantial period without asignificant change in the temperature of the contents of the vial Y.Temperature sensitive contents of a vial can thus be protected againstexcessive temperatures by maintaining a cold chain by use of a container10 according to the invention. For example, a manufacturer can place avaccine containing vial, which is ideally kept at a temperature ofbetween 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, inside the container 10 and send thecontainer 10 to a consumer. It was found that the contents of the vial Ycan be maintained within the above temperature range for a period ofapproximately 24 hours or longer, using the container 10 according tothe invention.

EXAMPLE

The efficiency of a container 10 according to the first embodiment wastested using a method including the steps of:

a) preparing an empty capped 10 ml vial by:

removing the cap of the vial;

inserting a suitable tube of a plastics material through the centre ofthe cap;

filling the vial with 10 ml water; and

replacing the cap;

b) storing the prepared vial in a refrigerator for at least 2 hours at atemperature of between 2 to 8 degrees Celsius;

c) opening the container and storing the container in a freezer at atemperature of approximately −20 degrees Celsius for at least 12 hours;

d) inserting a thermocouple through the tube into the vial and locatingthe thermocouple approximately in the centre of the vial;

e) placing the vial inside the container and closing the container bythe lid and removing the container from the freezer; and

f) recording the temperature of the volume of water contained in thevial at regular intervals at an outside temperature of approximately 21degrees Celsius.

The recorded results of the method described above, are shown in FIG. 9.

Referring to FIG. 4, a portable container according to a secondembodiment of the invention for a vial is generally designated byreference numeral 40. The container 40 is similar to the container 10,with the exception that the container 40 is relatively longer so that aplurality of vials Y can be received inside the container 40 in end toend relationship. A further exception is that the container 40 isprovided with a protective coating 46 such as shrink wrap.

Referring to FIG. 5, an upper portion of a portable container accordingto a third embodiment of the invention for a vial is shown incross-section and is generally designated by reference numeral 50. Thecontainer 50 is similar to the container 10, with the exception that thecontainer 50 is provided with an axially pierceable disc 52 which isincorporated into the lid 54 of the container 50. The disc 52 is adaptedto be pierced by the needle N of a syringe and the container 50 isfurther adapted to contain a vial Y having a similarly pierceable top.It will be appreciated that with a container 50, the contents of thevial Y can be dispensed without opening the container 50.

Referring to FIG. 6, a lid of a portable container to a fifth embodimentof the invention for a vial is generally designated by reference 60. Thelid 60 is similar to the lid 28 of the container 10, with the exceptionthat the lid 60 is provided with a gripping means 62 for gripping thecap of a vial Y received in the container (not shown). Preferably thegripping means 62 comprises a body of foamed plastic embedded in the lid60. It will be appreciated that the advantage of the lid 60 is that thevial Y is lifted from the container when opening and lifting the lid 60.

Referring to FIG. 7, a container according to a sixth embodiment of theinvention for a vial Y is shown in cross-section and is generallydesignated by reference numeral 70. The container 70 is similar to thecontainer 10, with the exception that the inner surface of the container70 is profiled to provide a plurality of inwardly directed projections72 for spacing the vial Y from the substance 14, so that a buffer space74, which prevents temperature shocks to the contents of the vial Y, isdefined between the vial Y and the substance 14.

It will be appreciated that a label designating the contents of the vialcan be applied to the outer surface of any of the containers describedabove.

It will be appreciated further that the invention is not limited to anyof the embodiments depicted herein but that the portable containersdescribed herein will prove to be effective dispensing tools for theprotection and dispensing of vials and ampoules. Not only will a vial toan extent be thermally insulated and passively protected againstexcessive temperatures when in a container according to the invention,but the container will also protect the vial against damage due toexcessive shocks. The container also serves as a convenient body ontowhich a label can be placed so as to identify the contents thereof.

It will be appreciated even further that a large number of variations indetail are possible with portable containers according to the inventionwithout departing from the scope and/or spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable container for a vial, the containerhaving a wall defining a centrally located cavity for receiving thevial, the wall having a first thermally insulating outer layer; andsecond and third spaced apart layers of a relatively hard plasticsmaterial surrounded by the first layer, the second and third layersdefining a cavity between them for a substance for providing a passivecold source to the cavity; and the wall including a fourth inner layerof insulating foam which is surrounded by the other layers, forprotecting the vial from a sudden excessive drop in temperature due tothe proximity of the vial to the passive cold source.
 2. A containeraccording to claim 1 wherein the first to fourth layers are in the formof concentrically disposed, cylindrical, blind ended tubes.
 3. Acontainer according to claim 2 wherein the substance for providing apassive cold source forms an annular layer disposed between the secondand third layers.
 4. A container according to claim 1 which includes adownwardly directed annular flange member providing on the open top ofthe container, the flange member connecting to the first layer of thecontainer by a friction fit.
 5. A container according to claim 1 whereinan inner surface of the annular flange member defines an annularextending groove formation and wherein an outer surface of the secondlayer defines a circumferentially extending ridge formation for matingwith the groove formation.